Improvement in sights for



W. H. BRODEN. Sight for Fire-Arms.

No.- 217.770. Patented July 22, 1 879.

Wifimesses UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

WILLIAM H. BRODEN, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENTIN SIGHTS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,770, dated July 22, 1879 application filed May 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BnoDEN, of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of California, have invented a GageSight for Hunting Purposes; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to an improved gagesight for hunting purposes; and my improvements consist in placing on the ends of the barrels a clamp provided with a block or sight on the outer side of each barrel, and by covering the bird with the one which is nearest him in flying, the shooter is looking at the object at the proper angle out of the line of the barrel, so that the shot will hit it as it comes in line.

It also consists in providing the clamp with two shoulders and leaving a space between them, so that by looking through this space in shooting at a bird flying away both barrels will cover the object.

It further consists in providing an inclined groove in the side between the barrels, and a movable sight, which may be used on it for greater accuracy in certain kinds of shooting, as is more fully described in the accompanying drawings.

Figure l is a view of my device as applied to the end of a gun-barrel. Figs. 2 and 3 show modifications.

Let A represent the barrels of an ordinary shot-gun. A clamp, a, springs over the outer ends of the barrels, said clamps being provided with the sights b and shoulders 0. One of the sights b is placed on the outer side of each barrel, and out of line with the axis of the barrel, as shown and a shoulder, 0, is on the inner side of each barrel, at the end of the clamp, as shown, for the purpose hereinafter described.

The clamp may be sprung onto the barrel, or be heldin place by a set-screw, as desired.

In shooting at a tail bird that is, one flying away from the shooterthe object is brought in view between the two shoulders 0, and the charge from either barrel will kill it.

The height of the shoulders above the barrel is only half the height of the outside sights, b, the object being that in sighting flying birds they will not obstruct the view of the shooter.

The outside sights, b, are placed on the sides of the ends of the barrels, as shown. In shooting at a bird flying toward the right, the moving object is covered by the sight'on the left, and as the shooter then looks at the bird at .an angle out of line of the barrels, the shot will hit it without any necessity of mental calculation. This is true, no matter what the distance may be, since if farther off the angle from the line of the barrels is greater, and more time is given for the shot to reach the object. 7

'When the object is near, the angle is less, and less time is required, of course, for the shot to reach the line of flight of the bird.

The sights regulate the elevation at which the gun should be held, as well as the angle. In covering an object at fifteen yards with the sight, there will be about nine inches elevation from the center of the charge to the object. At thirty yards the elevation would be eighteen inches-that is to say, that in covering the object with this sight, the farther off the object is the more will the barrels be elevated, in order to enable the shooter to cover it. In this way, by aiming with the sight placed above and out of line with the barrel, no cal culations are required to give the shot time to reach it, nor to allow for the fall of the shot by its gravity.

For duck shooting, I groove the rib d quite deeply, as shown at e, on an incline, making it deeper at the outer end than the inner, as shown. Then, when a duck is flying toward you, by aiming through the groove 0 in the rib, the gun is elevated ahead of where the shooter is looking. This is also the case when the bird is flying straight over the shooter. When going after quail, snipe, and birds, when the shooter is apt to get more side and tail shots, the inset sight f is put on by means of a screw, so as not to overlook them, a s the groove is then filled up.

The pins 9 are screwed into the barrels near the rear end, and are for the guidanceof beginners. By these pins being in the position shown, those unaccustomed to shooting could bring the pin in line with the sight on the same side, and when the eye is in the right place the pin and sight correspond. For persons accustomed to shooting there would be no necessity for these pins, as they would glance over the barrels properly.

Fig. 2 shows a modification of my device, in which the sight is made movable. In this a slot is cut in the sight on the end of the clamp, and a block answering to the sight is put in said slot, a set-screw being attached to it and projecting downward, as shown. Some persons move a gun more or less after getting in line with the game, and others stop their guns. The sight, being made movable, may be regulated to suit persons of different habits in handling the gun.

Fig. 3 shows a modification of the movable sight. In this the end of the clamp is made serrated, as shown at m, and there is a flange, n, at the back. The sight has a flange, 0, which fits under the flange n, and a lug or teat, p, on the sight catches between the serrated edges. By pressing the spring-teat down the sight may be moved along to any position, when the lug or teat will catch in the teeth and hold in place.

The inset sight f may also be regulated by its set-screw for fast or slow shooters, and elevated or depressed, as desired. This inset sight is used for ordinary shooting, but may be moved when desired. It is placed at the end of the inclined groove, and fills it up when the groove is not wanted. The sights and shoulders are painted different colors, so they can be seen plainly, and are not confused one with the other. The clamp, with its shoulders and sights, may be applied to any gun already made;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The clamp to, provided with the sights b and shoulders 0, in combination with the gunbarrels A, for securing greater accuracy in side or end shooting, substantially as herein described.

2. The removable clamp a, provided with the sights b, said sights being placed out of line of the barrels, in combination with a central rear sight, so that by bringing the sight and object in line the barrels will be held at the proper angle from the object, so that the charge will intercept it in the line of flight, substantially as herein described.

3. The clamp a, with its shoulders 0, said shoulders being placed on the inside edges of the barrels, so that by bringing a bird flying from the shooter between them the object will be hit by the charge from either barrel, substantially as herein described.

4. The rib d, with a groove, 6, inclined toward the muzzle, in a line below the axis of the barrels, and placed between the barrels, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

5. The rib d, with its inclined groove 0, in combination with the removable inset sight f, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. BRODEN.

Witnesses FRANK A. BRooKs, S. H. NOURSE. 

